


Exit Strategy

by joisbishmyoga



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Gen, I mean you can read this ShuuAke if you want, ok so if we analyze Loki a bit, p much everything is ShuuAke or AkiraGorou or RenGorou in my head here unless stated otherwise, sorry I disappeared so long you guys, spoilers for december, there's a trope for this but shh telling would be a spoiler
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-23 10:45:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14330790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joisbishmyoga/pseuds/joisbishmyoga
Summary: Thou hast awakened to the ultimate secret of Justice.





	Exit Strategy

The clattering footsteps on the stairs sounded too much like echoes from the deathknell crash of the engine room's steel bulwark, cutting them off from Gorou, the Shadows, and that empty-eyed cognitive puppet just before the final shots rang out.  
  
Just before Oracle had, in a very small voice, announced his death.  
  
Akira, last in the line, let his hand fall onto the slick railing, one boot on the rough latticed step and the other still lingering on the engine room floor.  There, in the stark light of the bulwark's button, his gloves looked to be covered with fresh blood: liquid and vibrant where the remaining plastic added a red glow; streaked blazingly bright where the button's jagged crack let the underlight through unchanged.  
  
 _Thou hast awakened to the ultimate secret of Justice._  
  
The button shone, a tiny target the size of his palm, on a blank metal box.  
  
 _... ultimate secret..._  
  
 _... ultimate..._  
  
"Joker?" Skull called from the balcony above.  "You coming?"  
  
There was no label.  
  
How had Gorou known what this button would do?  
  
Akira traced the edge of the broken plastic with a thumb.  Gorou could've just guessed, he supposed.  You'd put a light switch up by the doors, and an alarm would be labeled, and the engine's emergency manual shutdown was probably much closer to the engine itself.  But.  
  
But.  
  
The thing was... Akira didn't know most of the Personas, or Shadows, until he looked them up in the Compendium or in library books.  Loki, though...  
  
He'd watched _The Revengers_.  As well as _Thur: The Black World_ , and Futaba's pirated _Agents of A.E.G.I.S_. subs.  He knew Loki.  
  
Loki. Did. Not. Lose.  
  
Akira didn't want him to.  
  
He turned a Joker smirk up to his team, watching confusedly from the balcony.  "Get ready."  
  
"Joker, what--"  
  
And he pushed the button.  
  
The bulwark fell with a completely anticlimatic squawk.  A very familiar one, which sent the team up above into a ragged, stunned chorus of "Crow!"  
  
Slowly, Akira turned, the panels of his coat settling around his watery knees as he leaned nonchalantly against the railing.  He needed the support, as much now as he had when their gamble had paid off in November.  
  
Though seeing Gorou sprawled flat on his back on the floor, blinking up at the ceiling, was admittedly going to be hilarious to them all someday.  
  
"... You spoiled my dramatic exit," Gorou informed them, nonplussed.  
  
Akira shoved his shaking hands into his pockets.  Gorou was alive.  "It's my nature," he replied, managing to keep his voice even.  "Are you coming?"  
  
Slowly, reluctantly, Gorou rolled to his feet.  He fixed Akira with an unreadable look, odd by how his broken mask hid all but one eye and a white-lipped mouth.  "I quite hate you," he said, before his one visible eye rolled back in his head and he collapsed.  
  
Akira lurched a couple of steps forward before he thought to grab a Persona.  "Parvati!  Diarahan!"  
  
No movement.  None.  But... it wasn't a battle, but Diarahan should've worked, even if they weren't in a safe room.  Shouldn't it?  
  
Mona bounced past Akira's ankles, sword ready over his shoulder, and peered into Gorou's pale face.  Poked with one paw.  Wiggled it under the high neck and scarf.  "... He's asleep."  
  
Panther peered over Akira's shoulder.  "I guess... I guess he's even more worn out than the rest of us."  
  
Akira knelt, then glanced up at the team.  "Let's pick him up and get out of here."


End file.
